Lavender Recipes for everything from cocktails to desserts and main dishes! Cooking with lavender creates fragrant, beautiful recipes for a special dining (and drinking) experience you’ll love.
Lavender is best known for its fragrant, delicate Provencal appearance in soaps, sachets, essential oil and other body care products.
At least in the U.S., using culinary lavender to enhance a recipe with a Mediterranean sway is a road less traveled.
Lavender use has broadened over the past years with recipes showcasing the aromatic herb in everything from desserts to cocktails with savory dishes in between.
This collection of Lovely Lavender Recipes illustrates the versatility of this delicious herb.
I personally keep culinary lavender in my spice pantry and enjoy incorporating it in everything from salads to a simple favorite Roasted Lavender Potatoes dish that is a hit in my home.
This was the beginning of experimenting with lavender in many recipes and sharing these 15 lovely lavender recipes with you today!
HOW TO COOK WITH LAVENDER
When cooking with dried lavender flowers it is key to ensure using culinary/edible lavender and not lavender prepared for things like potpourri which can be treated with chemicals.
Where to Buy Culinary Lavender
Culinary lavender may be purchased at well stocked grocery stores, herb/spice stores or apothecaries, as well a grown in a pot or home garden for picking anytime.
With a small amount added to many recipes, a ho-hum dish can be elevated to having international flair!
Being particularly compatible with the flavors of honey and lemon, lavender is a perfect summertime herb to brighten seasonal foods.
I wanted to share some of my own favorite recipes, as well as other mouthwatering recipes I found on the internet, to whet your appetite to try some lavender in your own kitchen all year round.
These recipes are made with simple, whole ingredients, bursting with flavor to perk up grilling, salads, dessert, cocktails and more. Naturally gluten-free too!
Lovely Lavender Recipes
Pink Lemonade Lavender Thyme Sorbet is a sweet, delicate sorbet that is unforgettably delicious.
The unique combination of flavors in this lavender sorbet is completely refreshing dessert option like nothing you’ve tried before!
Lemon-Honey glazed Shortbread with Lavender Buds
These prim, luscious cookies are really a prepared cookie hack (shhh…..no one will ever know!).
Prepared shortbread cookies (gluten-free or regular) are doused with a lemon-honey glaze and adorned with a fragrant sprig of fresh lavender for a perfumed bite.
This lavender shortbread will be the talk of any party!
Lavender Roasted Potatoes
Adding a bit of lavender to simple roast potatoes transforms them into a completely new side dish with a sophisticated flavor and no effort.
Meyer Lemon Lavendar Mojitos
Citrusy lavender mojitos are a refreshing unique cocktail that will take the heat out of any summer day.
French Lemonade with Lavender
If you can’t travel to France, bring the culinary spirit home with this beautiful lavender-infused lemonade.
It takes lemonade to a new level.
Chocolate Lavender Fudge with Salted Caramel Top
The addition of lavender buds and sea salt to this caramel topped chocolate fudge can only be described as the stuff sweet dreams are made of.
Lemongrass-Lavender Green Sun Tea
This is not your mother’s 1970’s sun tea. Lemongrass and lavender combine with antioxidant powerhouse green tea for an intoxicating summer sipper you’ll love.
More Lavender Recipes
It doesn’t stop there! Main dishes, salads, desserts, cocktails and condiments will enliven your table with beautiful culinary lavender….
Lemon and Lavender Chicken {Yum Sugar}
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Lavender-Rosemary Rub {Joanne Weir}
Lavender-Scented Summer Fruit Salad {Health.com}
Peach and Feta Salad with Lavender Dressing {Honest Cooking}
Honey Lavender Panna Cotta {The Kitchen}
Honey Lavender Ice Cream {Martha Stewart}
Lavender Crème Brulée {Jamie Oliver}
Peach Lavender Jam {Love and Olive Oil}
Lemon & Lavender Vodka Tonic {Bakers Royale}
Lavender Simple Syrup {About.com}
Make Your Own Herbes de Provence {The Spurce Eats}
Infused Lavender Honey {Tasty}
How to Make Lavender Sugar {The Spruce Eats}
Cathy M says
My grams used to bake with lavender all the time! This roundup made me think of her–thank you <3
Toni Dash says
I love knowing that Cathy. I feel like there are all sorts of recipes and kitchen practices that skipped a generation! I have not ever had anything edible with lavender before I started cooking with it but feel sure people HAVE been cooking with it before.
Crystal says
I love the smell of lavender, but really had no idea what to do with it in the kitchen. This is lovely inspiration. Never would have thought of potatoes.
Toni Dash says
The potatoes are SO good! That was my starting point for using lavender actually. I was preparing roasted potatoes one night and on a whim threw some in. It’s been a quest ever since.
Kathy says
All of these recipes look so wonderful. I made some kind of drink with lavender before. It really is a great idea to use lavender because it’s so refreshing.
Jeanine says
That sorbet is screaming my name. Not only is the colour amazing but it looks just stunning. I need to try pretty much all of these!
gingermommyrants says
I can not wait to make one of these dishes. I love the smell of Lavender but have never cooked with it. I would love to try the Meyer Lemon Lavendar Mojitos.
Lisa Bristol says
I have never tried to cook with Lavender before. These Meyer Lemon Lavendar Mojitos will be perfect for my next girls night.
Claudia Krusch says
These recipes all look so good. I want to try the Roasted Lavender Potatoes this weekend. I know they will be a hit.
Randa says
I love lavender. I had always just had it in soaps and sachets but last summer I visited a lavender farm and tried it in food. YUM! I need to try cooking with it myself now.
Liz Mays says
Ooh, I wouldn’t mind trying a few recipes that use lavender. It’s something I haven’t experimented very much with but I do like it!
Nancy Polanco says
Believe it or not, I have only tried macarons with lavender. I need to fix this!
Reesa Lewandowski says
I never thought to use fresh lavender in recipes like this! These are so pretty, they remind me of something for a bridal shower or ladies tea!
Toni Dash says
Defintely! It’s one of those foods that tastes like it smells which is fun.
Kelly Hutchinson says
I will admit, I have never had a recipe, food or drink, with lavender in it. With that said, I would love to try the Pink Lemonade Lavender Thyme Sorbet.
Marcie W. says
Lavender is one of my favorite scents, but I have never really explored it in food. I need to change that since those glazed shortbread cookies are calling my name!
Amy Desrosiers says
When it comes to lavender, I love the flower and scent. I have never tried foods that were made with it, but it is on my bucket list now!
Jeni Hawkins says
I’m not big on lavender, but would DEFINITELY try it in that pink lemonade sorbet! Thanks for the idea and great post – I might just start liking lavender after all!
Pam says
My daughter loves lavender in recipes. Her favorite would be the shortbread but the lavender potatoes sound really unique.
Janell Poulette says
I had no idea that lavender had so many amazing uses! All of those drinks look so refreshing, and those potatoes sound super yum too!
Heather @ Kraus House Mom says
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything with lavender in it. The sorbet sounds good, as does the mijito.
Jeanette says
I honestly had no idea that you could put lavender in so many things. Looks like I need to do some major cooking this weekend! This all looks so good.
Toni Dash says
You just need to ensure it’s culinary grade lavender Jeanette so it hasn’t been treated (as it would for pot pourri for instance) with anything unsafe to eat!
Catherine Sargent says
These are all great ways to use lavender. I have never thought about cooking with it, I will have to try it.
Tracy Iseminger says
I don’t typically use lavender in cooking but I think I’ll need to start since my yard is full of it. That pink lemonade lavender sorbet is just beautiful and looks so amazingly delish!
robin rue says
Mmmmm, that Pink Lemonade Lavender Thyme Sorbet sounds awesome. I need to try that one first.
Stacie says
This is an awesome collection! I love lavender in everything from my soaps to my desserts. Thank you for sharing these recipes!
robin rue says
I love how versatile Lavender is, too! I use it in a ton of different things.
Janis Grummitt says
Great idea to collect these recipes Tony – thanks!
Toni Dash says
Glad you like them Janis! Lavender is so interesting in food and even the most simple recipes completely transform by adding just a bit. I loved finding so many different types of recipes. They all made me hungry!
Lynda says
Great post! I grow my own lavender for soaping and cooking. I’ve found Melissa to be the best for cooking and use in to make Lavender shortbread cookies. Hubby has made lavender syrup with it but I’ve not ventured any further always looking for more recipes. Since my Melissa harvest (and really all of my lavender harvest did great this year) I’ve got lots to play with this year. Thanks for the recipes. I’ll have to try the potatoes and the chicken for sure. Here is my recipe for my cookies: http://www.bloombakecreate.com/2012/10/recipe-lavender-shortbread-cookies/
Toni Dash says
Great insight Lynda and thanks for your recipe link too!